Fuse switch



June 4, 1935. P, BOLL ET AL 2,003,768

FUSE SWITCH Filed March 5, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I

June 4, 1935. I 1.. P. BOLL T AL FUSE SWITCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 3, 1934 5 FIG. 2.

Patented June 4, 1935 UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE FUSE SWITCH Lester Pierce Boll, University City, and Theodore Blrkenmaier, St. Louis, Mo., aslignors to W. N. Matthews Corporation, St: Louis, M0,, a corrotation of Missouri Application March 8, m4, sci-m No. man

6 Claims. (Cl. 200-116) This invention relates to a fuse switch, and Pivoted rearwardly on the stop 6 is a memwith regard to certain more specific features, to her 8 having two sockets therein adapted to rea collapsible type of this switch. ceive spring wires 1 composed of spring bronze Among the several objects of the invention or the like,,and held in place by set screws I B. I may be noted the provision of a contact which The outer ends Ii are bent upwardly and beis proof against breakage due to improper hanhind the upwardly bent portions II .on each during application of a fuse cartridge; the spring extension I is a notched portion l3. provision of apparatus of this class which shall Thus .the mem rs co s u e forwardly involve less intricacy of adjustment duri astending cantilever spring contacts. However, sembly; the provision of apparatus of the class merely the spring of the material in the exten- 10 is dependable in operation. Other objects will be h oldng thereto a tension spring 4, th latter is construction, and arrangements of parts which most Position 0! the extension 7 M i the p 20 11 be exemplified mu structures hereinafter 6. A flexible wire connection 22 between the r b and t scope of t application of socket member I and stop 8 prevents substantial which will be indicated in the following claims. current from m e throush the hinge J I t accompanying drawings in which are The advantage of the above construction is of the invention, relationship is ascertained for the positions 1 Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing one form of he tensions 1. his being dete mined by the the invention with a cartridge in connected D quently, th i m fl ing p051 manufacture are reduced to a minimum. Fur- Fi 2 i a view similar t pm 1 showing a thermore, the hlnging action of extension 1 pre- 3 cartridge partially released; vents bending of the same under abuse. This ig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation showing will be clarified hereinafter. a final position; The lower line terminal I has associated there- Fig. 4 is a plan view of Pig. 1; with a pair of forwar ly e ten ing, u po as Fig. 5 is! met il front elevation of the lower ings II nd t avin upw o en as Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail showing an tatingly and .relnovably accommodating sidealternative form of the invention; and, wardly extending gudgeons is and II 3. 7 is a cross-section taken on line 1-4 of tively. As shown in Fig. 5 the gudgeon ll and bottom of its bearing notch I! are smaller than 40 Similar reference haracters indicate correthe gudgeon l8 and the bottom of its notch spending parts throughout the several views of bearing 2|, hence preventing improper applicat dlflwingflc tion of the fuse cartridge to which the gudgeons This invention is an improvement upon the are ten dconstruction shown and claimed in our patent The gudgeons l9 and 28 extend from sideas application 655,462, for fuse switch, filed Februward legs of a forked member 2|, said member 2| pivoting at 23 to a collar 25. The collar 28 Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1, comprises a clamp about tube 21, the latter there is shown at numeral I a supporting insucomprising a part of a fuse cartridge. The

lator carrying separate line erminals I and i. collar 25 also holds an eye 28 for a tool used in It to be understood tha two-or more insuappl ing he sudgeons I! and 20 to their sockets.

' lators may be substituted for the insulator I. The pivoting member II has a lower saddle Extending from and electrically connecting with portion 2! which accommodates a screw contact the upper line terminal 3 is a contact stop I 3| for fastening the lower end of a fusible link composedofmatm'ial suchasbronzeorthelike. .33. the latter passing-to said contact II from the open lower end of said tube 2'8. A collar 35 limiting stop (Fig. 2).

When the tube 27 is fused, it is applied through a fixed upper metallic contact 37 where it is fastened by a screw 3|. It then is caused to pass through the tube H and out of the lower end thereof where it is bent and fastened to the contact 39. When the fastening at 3| is made, the fuse is drawn up enough that it is responsible for the member 35 being held in the position shown in Fig. 1; that is, against the collar 30 of tube 2'5. The tension in the link under these conditions needs only be slight. Thus there is provided a fuse cartridge having laterally extending gudgeons l9 and 25, the rigidity of the gudgeons l9 and with respect to the tube 21 depending upon the fuse link 33 functioning as a holdingmember.

As shown in Fig. 7, the interior wall of the bearings |5 and I6 are provided with cams 5| and ultimate stops 53. Upon rotation of the cartridge to the position indicated in Fig. 3, the gudgeons 32 are adapted to ride upon the cams 5| and into engagement with the stops 53, thus bringing the cartridge to a vertical position with minimum shock. In riding upon the cam 5|, the gudgeons 32 expend some of the momentum of the cartridge in friction and some of it in lifting V the cartridge so that the gudgeons l9 and 20 are lifted slightly from their resting positions in their sockets l1 and 28, as shown at said Fig.3.

Operation of the device is as follows:

The fused cartridge is placed in a substantially' horizontal position (if .the switch be mounted as shown) and the gudgeons l9 and 20 are applied to the proper bearing recesses l1 and I8. After the gudgeons are placed in the recesses, the cartridge is rotated counterclockwise. This causes the head of screw 4| to pass between the extensions 1 and the upper gudgeons 45 thereon to spring into the notched portions l3 of said extensions 1. A ring 41 is provided on the upper contact 39 to which'an insulated tool may be applied to protect the operator during this closing operation.

The gudgeons l9 and 20, when the cartridge is as shown in Fig. 1 are slightly forward of the line drawn through the centers of pressure of gudgeons 45 and the pivots 23. Thus the extensions under infiuenceof spring 4, in pressing the cartridge so that the gudgeons l9 and 20 are forced into the bottoms of the recesses l1 and I8; also cause a slight tension on the fuse link 33. This is because, without the tension of a fuse link, the downward pressure is enough to swing the parts into the arrangement shown in Fig 2 but this tendency isresisted by the placement of the unbroken fuse, link 33 between the contacts 3| and 31.

However, when the fuse blows, its holding effect upon the linkage disappears. The linkage constituting the pivoted tube. 21 and member 2| collapses andv the spring .4 moves down the extensions! (Fig. 2 Rotation occurs at the gudgeons l9 and 20, the tube also swinging on the centers 23. The separation of the member 2| from the tube 2! results-in itsv aiding in the withdrawal of the fuse 33 from the tube. The

,, explosive action of the gases engendered; upon fusing causes complete, ejection at the lower end of the fuse. Finally, the collapsing action having caused clearing under the extensions 7, the tube 2'! falls forwardly carrying the member 2| with it. Rotation is stopped by the gudgeons 32 riding on thecams 5| and against the stops 53. At the same time the gudgeons l3 and 20 are driven up their bearing recesses H and i8, these recesses being so formed as to again close the memberZl against the cartridge '(Fig. 3). From this position it is quite 'simple to remove the cartridge for fuse replacement.

From the above, it may be seen that if the linemans tool in the ring 51 happens to slip out and strike one or more of the extensions 1, no damage is done because'the spring 4 permits ample upward swing of the member 1 without bending of the same.

After blowing of the fuse and collapse of the cartridge and subsequent swinging down of the same, the ultimate stop is made with very little shock, because of the frictional engagement finally encountered and the conversion of energy of momentum into potential energy by the slight lifting of the cartridge. At the same time the lifting of the gudgeons l9 and 20 from their respective bearings I1 and I8 causes a folding up of the member 2| against the cartridge 21. This results in the ability to readily remove the cartridge without encountering any entanglements, due to members such as 2| being in open position (compare Figs. 3 and 2).'

In Figure 6 is shown an alternative form of the invention wherein like numerals designate like parts. In this form, instead of using a tension spring 4, such as used in Fig. 1, there is used a compression spring 63 between an extension 6| from the hinge member 8, said spring 63 reacting against the contact 3. The opera tion is analogous to that described in connection with the form of Fig. 1, except that spring 63 compresses when the fuse switch is closed and extends when it blows,instead of vice versa as in the case of spring 4. It is to be understood that either of the coil springs may have a leaf spring substituted therefor, if desired.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could be made in' carrying out the above constructions without departing from the scopeof the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above descrip-- elements, bearings associated with'ohe of said line terminahoppositely located'gudgeons asso ciated with one of said terminal engaging elements, one of the bearings and associated gudgeons being smaller than the other, whereby it becomes impossible to apply the larger gudgeon to said smallar bearing thereby to avoid improper application of the cartridge.

2. In a fuse switch, line terminals, a cartridge having terminal engaging elements, one of said terminal engaging elements comprising a member hinged to the cartridge, gudgeons on said last-named member, hearings on one of said line terminals adapted to rotatably' receive said gudgeons, a fuse link associated with said hinged member and the cartridge adapted in unblown.

condition to hold said cartridge and said hinged aooaves member in a predetermined position but to re-' lease them for collapse when the link blows, said cartridge being rotatable at said gudgeons after collapse, camming means on the bearing, andgeons on the cartridge adapted to frictionally engage said camming means, and stops adapted to positively limit the degree of rotation of the cartridge after said frictional engagement.

3. In a fuse switch, line terminals, a cartridge having terminal engaging elements, one of said terminal engaging elements comprising a member hinged to the cartridge, gudgeons on said last-named member, bearings on one of said line terminals adapted to receive said gudgeons, a fuse link associated with said hinged member and the cartridge adapted in unblown condition to hold said cartridge and said hinged member in a predetermined position but to release them for collapse when the link blows, said cartridge being rotatable at said gudgeons and on said member after collapse, camming means on the bearing, gudgeons on the cartridge adapted to frictionally engage said camming means, and stops adapted to positively limit the degree of rotation of the cartridge after said frictional engagement, said camming means being adapted to effect lifting of the cartridge so as to lift said gudgeons fromtheir seats in the bearings.

4. In a fuse switch, line terminals, a cartridge having terminal engaging elements, one of said terminal engaging elements comprising a member hinged to the cartridge, gudgeons on said last-named member, hearings on one of said line terminals adapted to rotatably receive said gudgeons, a fuse link associated with said hinged member and the cartridge adapted in unblown condition to hold said cartridge and said hinged member in a predetermined position but to' release them for collapse when the link blows, said cartridge being rotatable at said gudgeons after collapse, camming means on the bearing, gu zeons on the cartridge adapted to frictionally engage said camming means, and stops adapted to positively limit the degree of rotation of the cartridge after said frictional engagement, said camming means being adapted to effect lifting of the cartridge so as to lift said gudgeons from their seats in the bearings, said bearings being so formed that said hinged element is, in the ultimate disconnected position of the cartridge forced to its initial position with respect to the cartridge, whereby said gudgeons and the cartridge may be readily removed from their operative positions.

5. In a fuse switch, line terminals, a. cartridge having terminal engaging elements, one of said terminal engaging elements comprising a member hinged to the cartridge, different sized gudgeons on said last-named member, different sized hearings on one of said line terminals adapted to respectively receive said gudgeons, a fuse link associated with said hinged member and the cartridge adapted in unblown condition to hold said cartridge and said hinged member in a predetermined position but to release them for collapse when the link blows, said cartridge being rotatable at said gudgeons after collapse, camming means on the bearing, gudgeons on the cartridge adapted to frictionally engage said camming means, and stops adapted to positively limit the degree of rotation of the cartridge after said frictional engagement, said camming means being adapted to effect lifting of the cartridge so as to lift said gudgeons from their seats in the bearings, the different sizes of said gudgeons and their respective bearings preventing mis application of the cartridge and its hinged member.

6. In a fuse switch, line terminals, a cartridge having terminal engaging elements, one of said terminal engaging elements comprising a member hinged to last-named member, bearings on one of said line terminals adapted to receive said gudgeons, a fuse link associated with said hinged member and the cartridge adapted in unblown condition to hold said cartridge and said hinged member in a predetermined position but to release them for collapse when the link blows, said cartridge being rotatable at said gudgeons after collapse, camming means on the bearing, gudgeons on the cartridge adapted to frictionally engage said camming means, and stops adapted to positively limit the degree of rotation of the cartridge after said frictional engagement, said camming means being adapted to effect lifting of the cartridge so as to lift said gudgeons from their seats in the bearings, said bearings being so formed that said hinged mate disconnected position of the cartridge forced to its initial position with respect to the cartridge, whereby said gudgeons and the cartridge may be readily removed from their operative positions, and said gudgeons on the hinged member and their respective bearings being oppositely located and of different sizes whereby proper cartridge application is determined.

, LESTER PIERCE BOLL.

THEODORE B.

the cartridge, gudgeons on said element is, in the ulti- 

